Saudi Arabia plans to build a Hyperloop that would shrink commutes from hours to minutes - here's what it could look like

Virgin Hyperloop One

A rendering of a potential Hyperloop station in Dubai.

For nearly a century, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has relied on the country's expansive oil reserves to power its economy.

But in recent years, oil prices have rapidly decreased, and Saudi Arabia is now looking to diversify its economy and rely less on oil.

The royal family has created a new plan called "Vision 2030," which provides a blueprint for modernizing cities across the kingdom. As part of this plan, the country says it hopes to build a Hyperloop, a massive, high-speed pneumatic transit system that would travel between several cities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

On Monday, Virgin Hyperloop One (one Los Angeles-based company that's developing the technology) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled a prototype of a Hyperloop pod for the project.

If realized, the system would dramatically change how residents move around in Saudi and UAE cities. According to Virgin Hyperloop One, its pod would shrink hourlong commutes to mere minutes.

Take a look at the plan below.